The Samurai Quest
by Darien Fawkes
Summary: Re-Imagining of "The Tengen Gate".  The Samurai are on a quest, but then we all know, we always find things we aren't looking for when we look for something!  Is that always a good thing?
1. The Samurai Quest

**A/N: **As much as I loved the episode, this will be a pretty heavy re-imagining of "The Tengen Gate", interspersed with my own storylines. Hope you all enjoy it.

**Legal: **I do not own Power Rangers or the associated names, characters, places, events etc. Anything not covered by these rights should be presumed to be purely the creation of the author.

**Rating: **T

In the Netherworld, Master Xandred's junk rocked horrendously on the Sanzu river as lightning arced into it. Despite the Rangers' best efforts and many victories, the tears of humans had indeed caused the Sanzu River to rise, and by extension, for his power to grow. He was locked away in his cabin to absorb his new power.

"If the ship doesn't stop rocking like this, I'm going to be sick." Dayu drawled in a defeated sigh as she approached Octoroo.

"The time has come for Master Xandred to absorb his power." Octoroo stated. "We always knew this would be a hard time. Just as well he's locked away."

Despite popular opinion, Master Xandred did not command the loyalty of the Nighlocks, even though he was their 'lord'. He, like many before him, had assumed that mantle through power, cunning, fear and brutality. While he had been the Lord of the Nighlocks almost as far as the written history of the Samurai extended, the fact was he was lord through shedding the blood of the previous lord, as had been the way of the Nighlocks for as long as they had existed, he had earned the position by usurping his predecessor.

Octoroo was both terrified and excited by the latest developments. He was not without his own power, but the fact was as far as martial strength went, he was far from the most powerful of the Nighlocks. He had the position he had through cunning and political machinations.

He had a keen tactical mind, and always thought ahead of the game. He had been the tactical advisor to Xandred's predecessor, and survived the elimination of his court by switching sides when it became clear to him that Xandred was clearly going to end up the winner of that war. It wasn't that he wasn't ambitious and didn't have thoughts of ruling all worlds himself eventually, he simply knew that miring himself in bloodshed was not the way to accomplish it when far better warriors were out there. Better to let the butchers kill each other off and then claim the throne when those that were left were far too weak to stop him!

Of course, he also knew that meant other Nighlocks were thinking along the same lines. Knowing that Master Xandred was vulnerable while he absorbed his powers would likely bring the ambitious to the barge seeking to destroy him. Dayu just muttered something under her breath and went back to her chambers to rest, preferably until the storm was over. Octoroo heard a sound on the port side, and his fears were confirmed as he saw a Nighlock climb aboard.

"You?" He asked. "But...you were banished!"

"I should have been executed." The Nighlock replied. "I have business..."

"Master Xandred is too powerful!" Octoroo shot out, hoping to allay this with words. This arrival was an unforeseen element, something his plans could ill afford. "Even in his current state..."

"I do not intend to destroy him." The Nighlock replied. "But he can be sealed away. I need your help."

Octoroo inspected him thoughtfully. While unexpected, it presented him with an interesting opportunity. If this Nighlock truly did what he wanted, and sealed Master Xandred away for good, he could potentially advance his own agenda by centuries. Of course, if he failed, and Octoroo could ensure his proverbial fingerprints weren't on the scheme, then he would be rid of a powerful rogue element that could upset his plans at a later stage.

"Tell me what you have in mind." Octoroo told him. "I'm listening."

Over in the real world, Dekker was practicing on a secluded beach with Urumasa. It had taken him a long time to recover from the injuries he had suffered at Emily's hands, even despite his immortal state. Having been essentially buried under a mountain, he knew it was sure to take its toll, and indeed it had. His agenda had been delayed, but also changed. He now knew that there were two worthy foes in the world. His primary goal was the Red Ranger, the finest swordsman that he had ever seen, but his battle with Emily had shown him that if pushed just enough, just the right way, she was one of the most amazing foes he could ever face.

He stopped as he heard a slight hissing sound and turned his attention to the cliffs. He saw a distinctive red glow from the gaps in the rock face. It would have been invisible to any human eye, at least any untrained human eye, but given his state, he could see it. He smiled as he heard the chaotic sounds within and knew what was going on.

"Master Xandred is gathering his power." He commented. "Without leadership the Moogers will run wild."

He put Urumasa in its scabbard and started to roll it into his bedroll.

"This will be the perfect opportunity to duel the Red Ranger unchallenged." He told himself. "Of course, there is one thing I need to do first."

He rose his head up and started to sniff the air, before looking to a track a little way off.

"I must eat." He stated, before heading off.

Back at the Shiba House, the Rangers, all except for Antonio, were in a meeting. Although they had accepted him on the team, they still had an understanding that there were certain secrets that could be dangerous for someone outside one of the bloodlines to know, and also that he did, strictly speaking, still have a business to run. While he didn't have to pay rent on his room since he was bunking with Jayden, and he rarely had to pay board since he caught or foraged a lot of his own food, he still had expenses he needed to accommodate, and he always wanted to feel like he was contributing to the household and not freeloading. Mentor Ji called the meeting to order.

"Despite our best efforts, Master Xandred's power is growing." Mentor Ji began. "We all know this."

"We've fought of attacks all over the city, and they're still coming." Emily replied, reaching for Mike's hand, finding it and holding it gently. "The Sanzu River's steeping through."

"We can do all we can to stop him shedding more tears." Kevin sighed. "There's nothing we can do about those he's already shed."

"That is why we must consider new tactics." Mentor Ji told them. He looked to Jayden, who put a book on the table. Mia looked up.

"Kasamune?" She asked. Mentor Ji looked at her a little curiously.

"What are you talking about?" He asked her. He didn't know how she would know that name, or how much she could possibly know, but it was unconnected to what he was currently sending them after. Kasamune was Serena's quest, and so far, as far as he knew, the others were unaware of that quest.

"Sorry, it's just...I read about...never mind." She replied. Mentor Ji looked at her for a moment, trying to figure out if she did indeed know anything, or if she had as she said simply stumbled on the name as part of her reading. He eventually decided just to return to the point in hand. It was far too important to deal with this for now.

"The Black Box." He told them. Mike just put up his hand.

"Uh...what does an airline flight recorder have to do with this?" He asked. The others just glared at him. "What? I'm the only one that's heard of a Black Box?"

"It was a powerful talisman created by the first Red Ranger." Jayden began, pointing to a picture of it in the book. "It was said to be able to unite the powers of all the Rangers' spirit power into one."

"Great, so lets' fire it up." Mike stated.

"It's not that simple." Mentor Ji sighed.

"When is it ever?" Mike grumbled in response, before realising Mentor Ji was glaring at him. "Why not?"

"It was never finished." Jayden informed him. "No one had the symbol power or the talent to finish it."

Emily suddenly started bouncing excitedly on her seat as she waved her hand. A thought had occurred to her as they said this.

"Yes Emily?" Mentor Ji asked.

"Kind of like how no one had the symbol power or talent to repair the Claw Zord right?" She asked. "What about Antonio?"

"Emily..."

"Seriously Kevin, if he can use texting to programme a zord, why can't he use it to programme our symbol powers into it?"

"You know how much it takes out of us when we use our symbol power!" Mia reminded her. "Emily, you were out for almost a whole day when you beat Dekker."

"I've been to the Netherworld, I know what's down there." Mike told them. "It ain't pretty. If it means stopping that coming here, I'm up for it, regardless of what happens to me."

"I am too." Emily chipped in. "We already know there were Rangers before us, and you know there'll probably be Rangers after us. If we end up sacrificing ourselves to keep the Netherworld in the Netherworld, then what else matters?"

"I really want a normal life." Mia sighed. "But I'll never have that if Master Xandred wins anyway will I? I'll go with it."

"I guess I'm going too." Kevin replied. "We're a team right?"

"Then it's settled." Mentor Ji replied. "You have an hour to get packed."

"Packed?" All of them but Jayden chorused. Jayden just sighed.

"Did we mention that the Black Box is at the Tengen Gate?" He asked. "That's near Mount Fuji."

"We're going to Japan?" Kevin asked in a mixture of excitement and indignity. A part of him always wanted to go there. The Samurai legacy began in Feudal Japan, and while the bloodline had spread and become mixed with other cultures since then, he had always hoped to go to the historical home of that legacy at some point.

"What about the city?" Emily asked.

"Antonio will stay here." Mentor Ji told them. "You five will go."

"I guess we better pack then." Jayden told them. "The lunch rush is nearly over. Antonio will be back soon, we can say goodbye then."

Meanwhile, on a board walk a little way from the Shiba House, Antonio was doing a great trade. While there were hot dog stands and the likes in the area, the sea air seemed to bring out people's taste for seafood. He just finished grilling a kebab and handed it to a young woman.

"Here's your baby bass kebab." He told her.

"This just smells amazing!" She replied with a little smirk, handing him a piece of paper. "Um...here's my phone number by the way. I was hoping maybe...?"

Antonio got a little awkward smile on his face.

"Uh...sorry, but...I don't play for that team." He told her, handing it back. "Still, enjoy the kebab."

The young woman looked disappointed, but accepted what he had said. She then just smiled at him as she saw another man approach him, standing closely behind him.

"Well, I guess if he's that hot I can't blame you." She commented, leaving Antonio looking confused, paying for her purchase. "Thanks for this."

"I heard the bass here was good." He heard a low, raspy voice from behind him. He spun around, finding Dekker behind him. He reached for his morpher, but Dekker just shook his head in warning.

"You wouldn't want to start a scene here would you?" Dekker asked him. "So much of your stock would be ruined, not to mention all these innocent bystanders."

"What do you want?" Antonio asked.

"First of all, I'd like a kebab." He answered. "The one you gave her smelled good."

Antonio was tense, not wanting to escalate things, and just prepared one for The Cursed Warrior. Dekker just took it as Antonio handed it to him.

"Your friends are in danger." Dekker told him.

"No shit." Antonio spat sarcastically. "Master Xandred's out there, and of course my best friend has some skull-faced lunatic after him..."

Dekker just laughed, interrupting him.

"There's a big move in power in the Netherworld." He told him. "Someone's moving on Master Xandred's throne."

"Well excuse me if I don't shed a tear." Antonio snorted. "I would say hope he rots in Hell, but since he's already there, I guess it's kind of redundant."

"Better the devil you know." Dekker stated as he started to walk away. Antonio just threw his hands up.

"What is it with you?" He asked. "Don't you ever want to fight?"

"All the time." Dekker said honestly. "I just want to make sure it's worth my time when I do."

With that, he walked away. Antonio just started to pack up his gear. He had no interest in continuing his trade today.

Meanwhile, on a Trans-Atlantic flight, Serena was sitting uncomfortably. She had removed her hidden blade for comfort and placed it in her luggage, knowing it wouldn't be detected. There was no metal in it, and more importantly, with Mentor Ji and Hayley on the case, she was sure she would have been ushered through customs without question by some men on the inside working for them anyway.

It was dark in the cabin, all except for the overhead lights. Most of the people in the compartment were sleeping, but she couldn't settle. She had never been on a plane before, so that unsettled her in itself, but as well as that, she was separated from any source of Earth, her element, by several thousand feet. She banged her shin on the seat in front as she tried to lean back and cursed once again their decision to send her in coach. They had all those contacts to get her through customs, hack security systems, and even, she imagined, infiltrate Government, but they still couldn't spring for a decent seat for her 16 hour flight.

She decided to pass some time by checking on her mission status. The laptop Hayley had given her had nothing on it, other than a secure line to her, so she knew it would be updated as soon as Hayley had anything to tell her. She opened the laptop and booted it up, tapping the keypad so it could read her fingerprint. It opened up.

"It's a while before you reach Rome Serena." She heard in her earwig. Serena sighed as she heard Hayley's voice. "You do know time difference..."

"I'm crossing the time zones, I know the difference." She muttered. "What are we looking at?"

"Alright, there was a notorious duellist in the area who was known as Calabrone." Hayley told her. "It means 'Hornet'."

"Alright, what does that have to do with an ancient Japanese legend?" Serena asked.

"He was a known...um...shall we say...he was...popular with the ladies." Hayley began. "Unfortunately, he was also one of the best duellists in Italy. Many noble families lost sons to his blade as a result of honour duels. By all accounts he had several vendettas against him, and many bounties, including from prominent families like the Borgias..."

"Look, sorry to sound like all this isn't fascinating, but could we get to why I'm going here?" Serena asked her. "My ass cramped up hours ago, I have jet lag and a serious case of sleep deprivation."

"He was also known for collecting swords." Hayley told her. "He was said to have thousands of blades, most of which were taken from victims, but many of which he bought from traders from numerous countries."

"You think...?"

"We know he bought at least one blade from a Japanese traveller." Hayley assured her. "We also know one Masamune went to Italy. We think..."

"You think that might have gone to him." Serena sighed. "So...what difference does it make? The guy must be dead by hundreds of years."

"His family crypt houses the treasures of his family." Hayley told her.

"Great, so first you have me try to rob a museum, now you want me to go grave robbing?" Serena asked sarcastically. "I'm really starting to regret this mission."

"If Mentor Ji thinks it's this important, then I'm sure it'll be worth it." Hayley sighed.

"Sometimes, being a Samurai sucks." Serena grumbled as she shut down the laptop and put it away.


	2. Take Off

Most of the Rangers were assembled in the entrance lobby of the Shiba House as they waited for the cab to take them to the airport. They all turned as Emily dragged a couple of huge cases into the lobby.

"Uh...Em, we're not planning to be there for long." Mike told her.

"Well...I wasn't planning on being here long either." She told him, looking a little sheepish. "My dad was a scout leader. I guess because he had two girls, he kind of needed to do some guy stuff. He really believes in the whole 'be prepared' thing."

"They limit luggage nowadays." Mia confirmed. "They won't let you take all that on."

"I just wanted to..."

She shied away a little and blushed.

"You really think I overdid it." She replied.

"So...I'm taking care of the city while you're all away?" Antonio asked.

"We know we cannot leave the city unguarded." Mentor Ji replied. "You are the only one that can form a megazord without help."

"So...I'm the whole Ranger team in one?" He teased as he nudged Jayden. "excellente!"

"Emily...they will not allow you on with all that luggage." Mentor Ji said, ignoring Antonio's comment. Emily just sighed and slid one of her cases back into the girls' room.

"Don't blame me when I get all flaky and sickly." She muttered to Mike. "I have serious problems with the sun."

"I guess someone will have to comfort you." He said as he held her. "Keep you feeling good and..."

"When's the cab coming?" Emily blurted out. "I really want to get this done."

In Jayden's room, Antonio was just closing his case. Jayden coughed to alert him to his presence.

"I'm old enough to pack for myself." He stated.

"Not according to what I've seen." Antonio chuckled. "One pair of boxers, one pair of socks...no sun cream?"

"I guess I haven't done much travelling." Jayden conceded.

"I can't believe you get to go to Japan." Antonio replied. "I mean, the fish guy doesn't get to go to one of the best fishing spots on the planet?"

"To be fair I doubt we'll have time to do any fishing." Jayden answered him as he locked up his case and set it upright on its wheels. "Hopefully we won't be gone more than a few days."

"Well, I'm sure I'll be able to amuse myself while you're all gone." Antonio assured him.

"That's kind of what I'm afraid of." Jayden laughed as he hugged his childhood friend, before taking the handle of his case. "I'll see you when I get back."

"Take care." Antonio told him as the Red Ranger left the room. He sat on the edge of his bed, and breathed a sigh as he stared at his morpher. He had only been on the team a couple of weeks, and it taken him a while to be accepted as one of them. Now, he was in the position they had no choice but to trust him to take care of the entire city by himself. It was a huge task, but he was determined to ensure that their faith in him would not be misplaced.

Meanwhile, on the opposite end of her journey, Serena was waiting by a baggage carousel for her bag, thankful that her long and uncomfortable flight was now over. She knew that Hayley and Mentor Ji would have arranged for a room for her in the city, and she was hopeful for some much-needed rest. As she saw her bag coming, she picked it up, throwing it over her shoulder and made her way towards the gate.

As she got to the other side, she saw something curious. There was a man standing, holding a sign with her name on it. He was wearing a dark blue suit. She came over to him, inspecting him thoughtfully.

"Serena?" He asked her. "A mutual friend sent me to pick you up."

"Well that solves one problem at least." She answered as he reached for her bag. "I'll hold onto this if you don't mind."

She followed the man as he took her through the airport, heading towards one of the parking lots, but seemed a little curious as he turned and seemed to walk away in a different direction.

"Isn't your car...?"

"I don't use airport parking." He replied. "There's another lot a little way from here. I don't get charged there."

Serena thought this was a little odd, but continued to follow him. She reached to her forearm, satisfying herself that the hidden blade was still there.

"So, where's Sensei Watanabe booked me into?" She asked the driver.

"It's a very nice place." He assured her as he turned, heading down an alleyway. "It has a great view of The Vatican..."

She threw her bag into him, knocking him to the ground. As the man turned to face her, she had extracted the blade.

"Sensei Watanabe wasn't the one who sent me." She warned him. "Now, who are you?"

With that, the driver turned into a Mooger. Before she knew what was happening, almost a dozen of them had seeped out of gaps all around her and surrounded her.

"Good call on this weapon Ji." She muttered as she prepared to defend herself.

Meanwhile, the other Rangers had just boarded the plane with the other passengers, and were just in the process of finding their seats. Emily found herself in a window seat, with Mike just next to her. Mia was on the other side of the aisle with Kevin, while Jayden was nearer the back of the cabin, just putting his hand luggage into the overhead locker.

"Wow, this is all so amazing!" Mia commented as she looked around. "This is my first time on a plane, I can't wait till we take off!"

"It's not that big a deal." Mike replied, settling into his seat and looking out some headphones to check out the music selection on the armrest radio. "It's kind of like a big bus."

"A really big bus." Emily commented. "How much do you think this weighs?"

"I don't know, a few tons maybe." Kevin said with a shrug.

"Aren't there a few too many people in here?" She asked, beginning to look around the cabin as it started to fill up. "Um...I mean...the plane's big and everything, but we don't want it to get too heavy."

"Just try to relax Emily." Mia told her. "It's fine. There are thousands of flights every single day. There are hardly ever any accidents, heck it's safer than walking!"

"Bungee jumping without a rope would be safer than Emily walking." Kevin said with a little smirk. Mia just hit him across the chest to chastise him. Mike took her hand and held it tightly.

"Don't worry, it'll be fine." He assured her.

"I guess I'd just feel a little more comfortable closer to my element." Emily answered, flicking a thumb in Mia's direction as she saw the Pink Ranger getting comfortable for her journey. "I mean, sky is her element, of course she's fine."

"Well do you see any trees in here?" Mike chuckled. "And the nearest water's going to be about 15,000 feet below us in half an hour..."

"15,000 feet?" She shrieked.

"Just look at Jayden." Mike told her, pointing to where the Red Ranger was getting out a packet of sweets, taking one and sucking it as he got ready for take-off. "You don't see him panicking do you?"

"But he's near his element too." She reminded him. "The engines burn Kerosene, and...Oh my God, they burn Kerosene! Kerosene explodes!" She yelled, beginning to really panic.

"It's not going to explode!" He told her. He got an idea as he thought about her situation. "Would you prefer a seat away from the window?"

"Um...I'm not sure." Emily replied. "I have heard the window seat's good for..."

"Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhearing." One of the stewardesses said as she came over, kneeling next to them. She looked over to Emily. "Would you like something to help you relax?"

Emily just nodded frantically, at which the stewardess went to get her something. Mike put an arm around her, holding her.

"Emily, there are millions of flights every year. How many of them do you think anything ever happens on?" He asked her. "Seriously, just try to calm down. Maybe you can get some sleep during the flight."

"I doubt there's any danger of that happening." She muttered as she took her pillow and hugged it. "Now, didn't that stewardess say something about drugs to calm me down?"

In another part of the cabin though, Jayden was having a somewhat different experience. He was almost ready to sleep already. Although he hadn't done much travelling, his training meant that he was generally able to remain calm in most situations. He rested back in his seat, listening to music from the headset, some generic pop song that was hardly his taste, with his eyes closed, resting. He found himself blinking as something struck him, and he looked down, seeing it was a Red Samurai Ranger beanie baby. He looked to the seat in front of him, seeing a young boy looking over the back of the chair, his eyes locked on the toy. Jayden just smiled.

"Is this yours?" He asked. The little boy nodded nervously. Jayden just smiled at him and handed it over. "Is the Red Ranger your favourite?"

"Lucas, don't bother the nice young man." His mother chastised the little boy. "I'm sorry, I keep telling him to be more careful with his toys."

"It's quite alright." Jayden assured her. "So, is the Red Ranger your favourite?"

The little boy nodded gently. Jayden held up the bag of sweets, showing them to the boy's mother. "Is it alright if he...?"

"What do you say to the nice man?" The mother asked. Lucas took a sweet.

"Thank you." Lucas answered as he took it.

"You know, it's my first time on a plane." Jayden told him. "How about you?"

"It is." His mother confirmed.

"I guess this is all new to you too then." Jayden answered, looking to the boy. "Don't worry, I'm sure the Red Ranger won't let anything happen to you."

The little boy turned and settled into his seat as the stewardesses came to give the safety talk. The young woman turned to face Jayden.

"You really have a way with kids." She told him. "Luke was nervous all day about this."

"We're all nervous the first time we do something." Jayden assured her. "I'm just glad I could help."

Back in Italy, Serena fought with the Moogers, smashing into them violently, sending another of them tumbling back to the ground. Eventually, it seemed like they had all they could take and disappeared almost as quickly as they had arrived. She immediately looked out her earwig and put it in, activating it.

"Alright Hayley, I just got attacked by Moogers." She told her. "It looks like my little trip's no longer a secret."

"That'll make things more difficult." Hayley responded. "Are you alright?"

"Hey, whoever came up with that hidden blade is definitely on my Christmas card list." Serena assured her as she gathered up her belongings. "So where to now?"

"Serena?" A man asked as he came into view. He was wearing a suit, but it looked a little messed up. "Are you alright? I just got jumped by Moogers..."

"Join the club." She said as she approached him. "So you'll forgive me if I'm a little sceptical and would like some confirmation."

"My name's Vincenzo Di Cazzo." He told her. "I have a password. What was it, um...oh right. Tell Hayley that I chose the lead casket."

"That's him alright." Hayley told Serena. "He'll take you to your hotel. I'll contact you with your briefing when you're there."

"Can I take your bags?" Vincenzo asked her. Serena just grabbed her bags and pointed up the street.

"Just...get the car." She snapped. "I have the worst case of jet lag."

Back on the other plane, the Rangers were just settling in for their flight. Emily was having a look out the window, longing to have her feet on the ground as it started to taxi onto the runway.

"Isn't that tablet meant to be working by now?" She asked him. "Why isn't it working?"

"Emily, would you just relax?" Mike chuckled. "Seriously, it's fine. See, that's the sound of the engines speeding up."

She felt the plane start to rumble forward a little faster. He felt her grip on his hand tighten.

"See, now you can feel it getting up to speed..."

"Um...what's happening to the wings?" She asked him. "Are they moving?"

"Yeah, they do that a little." Mike assured her. "It's something to do with the design, they flex while in flight so they don't snap off."

"They could snap off?" She shrieked as her grip tightened even further. Mike started to wince in pain.

"Emily, my hand!" He complained.

"Oh God, this is no good, this is so not good!" She started to ramble. Just then, the path got a little smoother. "What just happened?"

"That would be us taking off." Mike grunted out. "Emily, seriously, my hand!"

Emily looked out the window, watching her beloved Earth moving further and further away as the plane took flight, apparently oblivious to Mike's pained screams as she crushed his hand in a panicked grip.


	3. Arrival at the Tengen Gate

In Rome, the car arrived at the hotel in the centre of Italy, pulling up to the entrance. The driver stopped and turned to Serena as he waved over a porter.

"He'll take you to the desk." Vincenzo told her. "I kind of have to go and get cleaned up. I have the rest of my shift to do, and I doubt the GM will be too happy if I look like this for the rest of the day."

"I guess not." Serena conceded. It was only a little while ago that he had been attacked by Moogers in order to lure her into a trap. It was only her skill in martial arts that had prevented her visit to Italy being a particularly short one. The fact was that while he was one of Mentor Ji's agents, like most of them, Vincenzo also had a life outside of that duty, one that he had to put an appearance in on. She collected her bag as the porter arrived.

"I'd rather hang onto it." She told him, gesturing to the door. He just shrugged, and made his way with her to the desk to get her checked in under her assumed identity. She ended up making her own way up as the porter abandoned her, realising there was no opportunity for a tip here and instead choosing an elderly couple that seemed to be Japanese.

This hotel was a lot more up-market than the motel she had stayed at before, indeed it seemed to be a five-star in the middle of the city. It was a shame she doubted she'd have much time to take advantage of the facilities. As she got to her room, she found a computer, large TV, minibar, telephone...so many facilities, and yet there was only one that really interested her right now. A large, king-sized bed, loaded with large, fluffy pillows, and with a huge duvet.

"Hayley, I'm here." Serena announced, tossing her bag down and heading to the bed, checking it out. "So what's the story?"

"I think that can wait for now." Hayley assured her. "If my calculations are right, I figure that right about now the only thing you care about is that king-sized bed we arranged for you."

"You've got that right." Serena sighed. "But if the Moogers already know..."

"I'm still looking into that." Hayley interrupted her. "It seems a little odd that Xandred would send Moogers all the way out to Italy. If he had an objective that meant so much to him, surely he'd have sent someone a little more dangerous."

"Lucky me I guess." Serena commented. "Are you sure?"

"The sword's been in Rome for almost five hundred years." Hayley assured her. "If the Moogers knew where it was, they wouldn't have bothered attacking you. I doubt another eight hours is going to make a difference."

"I like the sound of that." Serena replied. "So does this tab include...?"

"Order what you like from room service when you wake up." Hayley pre-empted. "If you get what we're looking for, no one's going to care about the tab."

"Much appreciated." Serena said as she kicked off her shoes and rolled onto the bed. "Signing off."

"Goodnight Serena." Hayley stated with a smile as she signed off. They had asked a lot of the young woman, and now they were asking even more since it was clear someone in the Netherworld knew of her quest, which meant they probably knew what they were looking for. So far Serena had shown no indication of giving up, not that they could blame her if she wanted to. So far, Serena had exceeded every expectation they had of her. They could only hope that would continue. Her quest was far too important.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld. Octoroo and Arachtheor were in a cave far from Master Xandred's Junk, continuing their plot. Arachtheor was pacing impatiently as Octoroo prepared a dark potion.

"What's taking so long?" He roared. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were stalling for time."

"I have to get the blend just right." Octoroo warned him. "If it's too weak, the Red Ranger will be able to resist its effects. Too strong, and he'll expire before we can get the information we want and we'll never find that symbol."

"Just hurry it up will you?" Arachtheor snapped angrily. "If we don't get that symbol soon, Master Xandred will be free, and our opportunity will have passed!"

Just then, a Mooger appeared and came to Octoroo's side, handing him a parchment. Octoroo read it, and put it away. He blasted the Mooger, destroying it.

"Bad news?" Arachtheor asked him.

"It is none of your concern." Octoroo answered. "One of my other projects is just taking a little longer than I anticipated."

"I'm beginning to wonder if I should trust you." Arachtheor commented. "You always seem to have something brewing, and I don't just mean this poison."

"Well you are the one trying to betray and overthrow Master Xandred." Octoroo reminded him. "I probably shouldn't trust you. However, we can both trust in one thing."

"What's that?" Arachtheor asked him.

"As long as it's in our best interests, we can trust in the fact we need each others' talents." Octoroo replied. "Now, ready your forces. The Rangers will be arriving soon, and we need to be ready when they do."

Early in the morning, the Rangers had touched down at the airport and were just at the carousel to collect their luggage. Emily was holding Mike, who was responding with a one-armed hug, his other hand still aching from her panicked grip on take-off, and again on landing.

"You see Emily, we're fine." Mia told her as she grabbed her bag. "Nothing happened. There was a little turbulence, but other than that, nothing happened."

"I'm never leaving the ground again!" She said with a pout.

"You were asleep for half the flight!" Mike reminded her. "I'm the one you crippled here. I'm still not sure you haven't broken anything."

"Stop being a cry-baby." Kevin teased him.

"Hey, Emily can be pretty strong when she's scared." Mike told him.

Jayden arrived, waving goodbye to the little boy he had befriended on the flight. Mia just smiled to see the display.

"So you made a little friend on the flight did you?" She asked him. He just nodded.

"He's a good kid." Jayden answered, hefting his bag into a more comfortable position on his shoulder. "Anyway, we should be going. Mentor Ji's friend Daisuke should have sent someone to collect us."

They quickly cleared security, heading into the arrival's lounge. There, they found a man in jeans a tan suede jacket waiting, holding a sign with their names on it.

He was around the same height as Mike, oriental, and it seemed like he was around his late teens. His hair was styled up, a little spiky, and he wore rayband shades that covered his eyes as he casually chewed gum, tapping the toe of his white trainers impatiently. Jayden approached him, shaking his hand.

"I'm Jayden." He told him.

"So you're the ones I'm waiting for?" He asked. "I guess most of the teams were young when they started out. I'm Kenzo. I'm your ride."

He gestured them to follow him, taking them out to a loading bay, where he had a mini-van waiting. There was a parking ticket on it, but he just took it off and shoved it in his pocket. He slid open the side, gesturing them inside.

"Alright, next stop...well, you know where." He told them. Jayden and the others bundled inside, at which the driver got into the front and pulled away with a screech of tyres.

"Holy crap!" Kevin complained as they were thrown around the inside of the vehicle unceremoniously. "Are we having problems taking off wing commander?"

"Watch the lights!" Mike screamed as he pointed to a set of lights. The mini-van screeched through anyway, amid a blare of horns and numerous braking cars.

"And you thought flying was scary?" Mia asked Emily.

"Hey, I'm used to driving here." Kenzo said as he turned and flashed them a smile. "You don't have to worry...!"

"Just...keep your eyes on the road Kenzo!" Jayden said as he pointed ahead. "So, how far is it?"

"Well, we don't exactly keep a secret temple in the middle of the city." He replied with a little chuckle. "It's a couple of miles beyond the city limit in the woods. Good thing this baby has a good suspension or you'd have quite a hike on your hands."

"Great." Mike muttered. "I survive Nighlock attacks only to be killed by the driver from Hell."

"At least we're on the ground." Emily murmured covered her eyes. Kenzo just blasted his horn.

"The green light means go asshole!" He screamed. "You guys worry too much. Seriously, just relax. We'll be there soon."

"That's easy for you to say." Jayden grumbled as the Rangers all strapped themselves in, collectively hoping divine intervention would see them safely to the Tengen Gate.

In Rome, Serena was just waking up after a long nap, checking the time on her watch. She'd managed t have a decent rest, but now it was time to get to work. She picked up the phone and dialled down to the switchboard.

"Hi, this is room 418; could I have some room service? She asked. "Just send up a chicken Caesar salad and some still mineral water please."

As she hung up the phone, she heard a small chuckle and looked around frantically, before realising it was Hayley. She had fallen asleep with the earwig in.

"Going for the healthy option I see." She remarked.

"OK, that's starting to get a little creepy." Serena sighed as she looked out the laptop. "I didn't want to go for anything too heavy. Not when I have no idea what you have planned for me. Not to mention now Xandred knows…"

"I'm not convinced he does." Hayley commented as she worked on her computer. "We already know that it was Octoroo that took the scroll originally. Since we haven't seen any other Nighlock involved so far, I'm beginning to think this might be a solo effort on his part."

"Working behind the boss' back? I didn't think Octoroo would have the guts for that." Serena replied. "He was never known for direct action."

"He was also never known for playing straight." Hayley reminded her as she sent some information to Serena's laptop. "If he's got something cooking, you know he's not making any moves that'll risk Xandred finding out. He'd end up as calamari if he did."

"Alright, so where is this tomb?" Serena asked.

"It shouldn't be far from your hotel." Hayley told her. "In fact according to my information you should be able to see it from your window."

Serena got up and headed to the window, looking outside. Across the street was a church, and in the yard out the back, there was a grave yard. It was quite old, so there were a few large mausoleums dedicated to the remains of some of the noble families of the city.

"I sent a picture of the crypt you're looking for." Hayley told her. "Can you…?"

"I see it." Serena replied. It was only then that she noticed some guards moving around the grounds. "It's guarded."

"Some of those crypts have treasures dating back centuries. Do you really think no one's tried robbing them?" Hayley asked her. "If it was that simple, we'd just have sent Vincenzo."

Serena heard a knock on the door, and answered it, finding a teenager standing with a tray, carrying her room service order.

"Just put it on the tab." She instructed the girl, before heading back to the window.

"I can see guards." Serna told her. "A couple of cameras, but nothing like what was at the museum."

"The crypt itself will almost certainly be booby trapped." Hayley continued. "Many of the nobles constructed very elaborate and sophisticated traps to secure their treasures."

"Well I guess you did say it wouldn't be easy." Serena said with a shrug. "Any idea how I get into the tomb?"

"I'm afraid not." Hayley conceded. "You'll need to figure that out on your own."

"It's starting to get dark." Serena told her, taking a mouthful of her salad. "I'll just observe the guards while I eat and hit it after dark."

Back in Japan, Kenzo brought the minivan to a halt in the woods outside of town. The Rangers all breathed a sigh of relief as they realised they were finally at their destination. Kenzo threw open the side of the van.

"Dad makes me park out here. He won't let me any closer to the temple." He informed them.

"I can see why." Mike muttered to Emily.

"Come on, it's just this way." He chirped cheerfully as he led them up a path. They went a little way, before it changed from a dust road to a paved path of grey stone. Before them, a large red gate, held up by black pillars stood.

"Here it is, the Tengen Gate." Kenzo announced.

"This is it?" Mike asked. Kenzo just shrugged.

"Well the Eiffel tower's basically a large radio antenna." He commented. "And the Washington Monument's only a huge stone…"

"It's a very important site in Samurai history." Jayden interrupted them, bowing respectfully to the gate and passing through it. The other Rangers followed suit as they entered behind him.

Inside, the temple was ahead of them, with a couple of smaller buildings, presumably accommodation quarters either side of the rock garden. In the middle, there was a particularly large rock, which had some symbols carved into it, commemorating an ancient battle. Jayden stopped before it.

"Here, the first Samurai Rangers defeated the Nighlocks in an ancient battle." Jayden explained to them as he gestured to the monument. "This memorial's been here ever since."

"It is nice to see Samurai Rangers here once more." An old man greeted them as he came out of the temple, making his way over. He was a little hunched over, and walking with a stick, and he wore aging robes which covered him from his neck to his ankles. He was bald, with a white beard hanging from his chin. He smiled as he saw them. "You must be Jayden. Mentor Ji told me to expect you."

"Sensei Watanabe? They all chorused, looking at the man a little confused.

"What are you doing here?" Kevin asked him.

"Yeah, and what's with the new look?" Mike asked, gesturing to his beard. The old man just laughed.

"I am not Kanoi Watanabe, though you are not the first to make that mistake." He assured them. "Many have commented on how much we look alike. I am Daisuke, the head guardian."

He waved over Kenzo.

"You have already met my son Kenzo." He said, introducing him. "Take their bags to the living quarters and get changed. The rest of you, come with me. We have important matters to discuss, and you have had a long journey. I find it best to discuss such things over refreshments."

"We would like that very much." Jayden replied, bowing to the old man. With that, he turned to lead them into the temple. The Rangers politely followed him, accepting his invitation.


	4. Poisonous Intent

Serena took a walk around the fence line of the church yard after her meal, keeping careful watch over the guards and the cameras as she manoeuvred herself into position as close to the crypt as she could get. Since she was going to be essentially breaking in, she wanted to spend as little time in the open as possible.

She saw one of the guards walk past, whistling a little tune to break the monotony of his shift, but couldn't help finding her eyes drawn to the berretta in the holster on his belt. She was used to guns, having been raised on a farm. She had been raised around them from an early age, they were as much an essential tool as a ploughshare or a hoe, but this was different. She had never had a gun turned on her, and she was hoping to keep it that way.

As the camera turned away, she leapt into action, scaling the fence quickly, and positioning herself behind it so it wouldn't catch her as it panned back. From her new vantage point, she took another look around. The crypt was only about twenty feet away, and by the looks of it, she could time her move to get to it so she wouldn't be caught on camera. She just needed to wait a few more seconds...

She leapt down and crept to the edge of the crypt, keeping to the shadows and concealed herself in a corner near it. She got onto the earwig.

"I'm by the crypt." She told Hayley in a whisper.

"Any idea how to get in?" Hayley asked her.

"The door's a big stone slab." She responded with a shake of the head. "Maybe if I had a crane, but something tells me the guards would notice. I'm a Samurai, not David Copperfield."

"Well, you know how I said many of these crypts had booby traps?" Hayley asked as she checked up some details. "Well...some of them also had secret entrances."

"Old Italian guys liked hanging around with their dead ancestors?" Hayley asked her. "That's not creepy at all."

"Well you know I did say they kept treasures in there." Hayley reminded her. "Well, they wanted a way in, just in case they fell on hard times financially."

"So they used their ancestor's crypts as a piggy bank." Serena whispered, looking around for guards. "So you think there's a chance there's an entrance here?"

"Just look for a carving or something out of place." Hayley told her. Serena looked to the intricate carvings all around it, following it around carefully.

"You might have to be a little more specific." She grumbled. "It's covered in carvings. It's some kind of mural. It's a bunch of religious stuff, The Last Supper and that kind of thing."

"Well that all fits for a graveyard." Hayley sighed. "Wait...the guy was called the hornet. Try higher up."

"Excuse me?" Serena asked her.

"Well, I have heard that he was noted for being athletic." Hayley stated. "If he wanted to hide something from people, why not somewhere up high?"

"Just when I thought this was going to be easy." Serena sighed, checking for guards, before climbing the crypt. It wasn't easy, but the carvings provided just enough handholds for her to haul herself to the top, rolling onto the roof. There, she found that it was a perfectly smooth slab of stone, except for a small statue in the middle, only around a foot high. Serena moved closer, and realised that it was a hornet. Inspecting it closely, she saw that it was missing the stinger. Serena just suppressed a little laugh and shook her head in disbelief.

"Do you ever tire of being right?" Serena asked her.

"Not so far." Hayley answered.

"There's a statue of a hornet here." Serena informed her. "It's missing the stinger."

"The Hornet was a duellist." Hayley reminded her. "His sting would probably have been his rapier."

"Well I don't have one of those to hand." Serena commented, extracting her hidden blade. "I do have this though."

She shoved it into the hole, hearing a click, and a mechanism sounding. She looked round as a hidden hatch opened up.

"Did it work?" Hayley asked her.

"Yes." Serena said in a slightly exasperated sigh as she went to the hatch. "I'm going in."

With that, she dropped inside.

Meanwhile, Jayden and the others were in the meeting area of the temple, waiting for Daisuke and the others to come with their refreshments. After a long trip, they were grateful for the hospitality. Mike was sitting in the corner with an apologetic Emily. One of the attendants had prepared him an ice pack for his hand, and had assured him that despite her grip, nothing was broken or dislocated. Kevin came over to Mia, seeing her checking out a mural on the wall, showing among other things, a woman with some Nighlocks. She didn't know why it spoke to her, but something about it just caught her attention.

"It is an old folk tale." Daisuke informed her as he arrived, carrying a little wooden box. "It tells the tale of a woman who made a deal with the Nighlock king to save the life of her beloved."

"She made a deal?" Mia asked him.

"Legend tells that in the name of honour and glory in the eyes of his people, he went on a quest that was destined to end in his destruction." Daisuke informed her. "She made a deal to save his life, but instead, the Nighlock King tricked her and turned her into a Nighlock."

"That sounds like something a Nighlock would do." Mike said as he put his arm around Mia.

"That's so sad." Mia commented, reaching out and stroking the picture with her fingers. "She was willing to sacrifice everything for him. Do they even know what happened to him?"

"I am afraid that part of the legend has been neglected." Daisuke told her.

"I can't explain it, but...I feel like I've met this woman before." Mia answered. Daisuke just smiled.

"Anyway, we have important matters to discuss." He told them, bringing them to the centre of the room, where they all knelt down. Daisuke placed the box down before them and opened it, revealing to them the object inside. It was a simple black, oblong box, with the Samurai emblem embossed on it.

"I'm guessing that's the Black Box." Mike said, pointing to it. He leaned in to Jayden. "I guess your ancestor was more creative with weapons than he was with naming them."

The others tried not to laugh, and Jayden just gave him a little glare, before reaching in and picking it up. It was an ancient device, one that many before him had tried to get working, but so far all had failed. He smiled to think that something so tiny might actually be the weapon that would tip the scales of balance in their favour.

"I hope your friend can reprogram it." Daisuke commented. Jayden just nodded with a smile.

"If anyone can, Antonio can do it." He replied, replacing it in the box. "Thank you Daisuke."

"Now, did someone say something about refreshments?" Mike asked. "I'm starving!"

"Where is Kenzo with that tea?" Daisuke asked as he looked around.

Meanwhile, over in the Shiba House, thousands of miles away, Mentor Ji and Antonio were just quietly watching television when they heard something. The door opened, and Dekker walked in. They both got up quickly, but he held up a hand.

"You are not welcome here!" Mentor Ji snapped. "Leave here at once!"

"I am not here to fight." Dekker assured them. "I am here to warn you. There is a plot against your friends."

"There's always a plot..."

"With the Red Ranger so far away, I have been spending time in the Netherworld honing my skills." He informed them. "When I was there, I learned some troubling news. Arachtheor is back."

"Who?" Antonio asked.

"Arachtheor." Mentor Ji repeated. "A Nighlock so devious and treacherous that Master Xandred banished him from his army."

"He was seen with Octoroo." Dekker informed them as he continued his story. "After convincing a few key figures to talk, eventually I found out that Octoroo has been seen gathering herbs for a Dark Potion. A poison deadly enough to fell even the strongest warrior. It is clear he plans to use it on your friends."

"We have to warn them..."

"He will have already prepared it by now." Dekker interrupted Antonio as he reached for his morpher. "We must go now."

"But they're in Japan!" Antonio reminded him. "They're thousands of miles..."

"I need the Red Ranger at his best for our duel. There is no honour in felling a strong warrior by nefarious means." Dekker told him. "If you do not come with me now, your friends will die."

Antonio's heart froze as he heard this. He was charged with defending the city, but right now, all he could think about was the others.

"We'll never get there in time!" Antonio stated. Dekker just smiled.

"That's what you think." Dekker answered as he grabbed the Gold Ranger and dragged him from the house.

Back in Rome, Serena was inside the crypt, looking around. She was surrounded by plaques, each indicating a reliquary where the remains of a person were stored. She felt a chill just thinking about it. There was something a little wrong with the idea of robbing a grave, but she knew this was necessary.

There were a few chests, which she presumed contained treasures, but she wasn't here for that. What she was here for was at the far end. Making her way over, she saw a large, stone sarcophagus carved into the shape of a man in fine clothing. On his cloak was the image of a hornet. Behind it was a rack filled with swords. Before looking to the rack, she couldn't help looking at the sarcophagus. She ran her fingers over the face of it.

"Serena...?"

"Sorry, I was just distracted." Serena stated. "He was a good looking guy."

"I did say he was popular with the ladies." Hayley stated.

"He seems young." Serena commented. Hayley checked her database.

"He died age 23." Hayley commented. "Given his lifestyle..."

"How I died is not important." Serena heard a voice behind her say in a thick accent. She spun around, seeing a man behind her. He was dressed in black leather riding boots, with tight trousers. He had a white, frilly shirt, and a crimson cloak hanging from his shoulders. At his belt, she could see a rapier. He had long, dark hair, and dark brown eyes. His face was handsome, and his skin smooth and unblemished. He flashed her a little smile. "How I lived is important however."

Serena backed up into the sarcophagus in fright. She couldn't believe her eyes. He stepped forward, taking a little bow.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alessandro Forachi Di Roma." He said, rising to look at her. "Though my enemies knew me as..."

"Calabrone." She stammered out. "The Hornet!"

"Obviously you have heard of me." He said, seeming impressed. "You know, I never expected a grave robber to be so beautiful."

"Thank...I think." She answered. "Listen, I wasn't planning to rob the place, I just need to look at one of your swords."

"I have many swords." He answered. "Which one?"

She turned and pointed to the katana on the sword rack. He just smiled.

"I remember that one well." He told her. "I acquired it from a woman from the East in my youth."

"You acquired it from a woman?" Serena asked him. He just nodded.

"I believed it to be unusual too." He answered. "What are you checking for?"

"I need to see the signature." Serena told him. "I need to find a particular sword."

"And what if that happens to be the sword you are looking for?" He asked her, moving closer and taking her hand, kissing it. "Would you take it?"

Serena didn't know how to answer that. She was talking to the ghost of the guy whose grave she had just broken into. At least...she presumed it was his ghost. He just smiled. "Your silence speaks volumes."

He turned and walked away, twisting his cloak over his left arm, before turning to face her. He placed a metal mask over his face to protect it, and drew his rapier. As he got into a guard, pulling his cloaked arm in front of him, she could see the emblem of a hornet embroidered into it.

"Choose a weapon." He told her.

"You can't be serious." She muttered. "Hayley?"

"Um...your guess is as good as mine!" She stammered. "Ghosts aren't my field of expertise."

"I will not allow anyone to rob my tomb without payment." He told her. "Even if they are as beautiful as you."

Serena took the katana from the rack, and drew it, preparing a guard. The Hornet led off with a couple of swings and thrusts, which Serena managed to parry, before taking a swing herself. He swung his cloak in a distracting manner, which occasionally caught the blade and pulled it as he countered. Serena blocked the sword, but felt a sharp pain in her ribs as she backed away. She placed her hand on her ribs, finding it covered in blood from a gash. It was then that she saw just beneath his cloak, he was carrying a stiletto which had her blood on it. He just smiled.

"Now you know why they call me The Hornet." He told her. "I have a deadly sting."

Meanwhile, back in the temple in Japan, Kenzo arrived in the room, carrying a tray of tea. He was now dressed in the brown robes of the temple, and his hair styled more sedately. Daisuke just sighed as he saw his son.

"You took your time." He replied.

"Sorry, I was just checking on the food." He told them as he set down the tray of tea. "Anyway, better late than never."

"I suppose so." Mike stated. "I'm parched!"

"Then let us drink to good fortune in our future battles." Daisuke toasted them. Jayden was the first to drink, but as soon as it hit his throat, Antonio and Dekker shot out of a Gap.

"No!" Antonio screamed, knocking over the cups, and sending Jayden's from his hand. They all stared at him.

"Antonio?" Emily screeched. "Dekker! What are you doing here?"

Unfortunately, they were a moment too late. Jayden had already drunk some of the tea. He collapsed to the floor, grabbing his throat and beginning to writhe in pain. Antonio knelt over him and checked on him.

"Jayden!" He screamed.

"The poison is already taking effect." Dekker told them. Just then, a guardian ran in.

"Daisuke, there are Nighlocks in the garden!" He rushed out.

"But Jayden..."

"I'll stay with him." Antonio told the others. "Go!"

They all rushed out, morphing as they went, leaving Antonio, Daisuke and Kenzo alone with Dekker and Jayden.

"There's no time." Dekker told them. "I need to take him somewhere I can heal him."

"What's your game Dekker?" Kevin asked, pulling out his Samuraizer.

"I need him at his best. If he perishes now, I will never get my duel." He told him honestly. "I can save him, but you must trust me."

"Fat chance!" Antonio stated, shoving him away. "You want to heal him so you can kill him?"

"If you care for your friend as I suspect you do, you will know this is the only chance he has!" Dekker replied. "You have my word I will protect him."

Antonio looked between Dekker and Jayden, finding Jayden's eyes. He couldn't speak to tell him what to do, but looking into his eyes, Antonio could see that Jayden knew his time was short. His heart grew cold in his chest as he took a deep breath.

"Take him." Antonio stated.

"But he's a..."

"If we don't let him go Jayden will die anyway!" Antonio snapped at Daisuke. He turned back to Dekker. "If anything happens to him, if you screw us on this..."

Just then, Kenzo and Daisuke were blasted aside. They all looked up to see Octoroo standing there.

"Red Ranger, you will show me your..." His words tailed off as he saw Dekker pick him up over his shoulder. "Dekker? What are you doing here?"

"Try to take him." Dekker beckoned him, taking on his Nighlock form. "If you think you can."

"Curse you Dekker!" He snapped as Dekker disappeared with Jayden. Antonio got up, taking out his morpher.

"That was your poison." He snarled, feeling his body tensing up.

"It was indeed." Octoroo declared proudly. "And without the antidote..."

With a bellow of hellish rage, Antonio morphed and rushed Octoroo, drawing his Barracuda Blade.


	5. The Tengen Gate Battles

Emily, Mike, Kevin and Mia arrived in the garden, finding the guardians locked in battle with the Moogers. While it was obvious they were all gifted martial artists, and they were fighting to the best of their abilities, the numbers and the ferocity of the Moogers were quickly starting to overwhelm them, and all they were managing to accomplish was putting themselves in danger needlessly.

"Get to safety!" Kevin called out as he helped one of the guardians back to his feet. "Guys, there's too many of them. We need more room."

"Drive them into the forest!" Mike answered as he converted his sword into the Forest Spear. Mia converted her sword into the Sky Fan.

"One cleansing wind coming up!" She stated, sending out a gust that blasted the Moogers out of the temple into the forest. The Rangers followed them, laying into them before they could regroup.

"Let's finish this up guys." Kevin stated, cutting down a few more. "With this many Moogers, it's only a matter of time before a Nighlock..."

Right on cue, a power blast levelled Ranger and Mooger alike. The Moogers all disappeared back into the Netherworld, clearing the way as Arachtheor stepped into view.

"You had to say that didn't you?" Mike grumbled, looking up at the Nighlock in disgust. "Man I hate spiders."

"You can make this easy on yourselves if you just give up now." Arachtheor told them. "It'll be a lot less painful that way."

"You don't know much about Samurai do you?" Kevin sneered as they all got back to their feet, collecting their swords. "Come on guys, creepy or not, he's just a Nighlock."

"You're going to regret that Blue Ranger." Arachtheor yelled as he charged them.

Over in Rome, Serena was having some difficulty with her own battle. While she had known that breaking into the crypt wasn't going to be easy, the last thing anyone, least of all Hayley, had anticipated, was that she would be attacked by a ghost. Yet, here she was, currently in battle with The Hornet, the guy whose grave she was trying to rob.

While she was an accomplished swordswoman, she found his style unfamiliar, and difficult to defend against. His cloak was distracting, and would occasionally hook her sword and pull at it, likely a deliberate part of his style. It also concealed the stiletto, something she occasionally found it hard to remind herself of. She had defended against most of his attacks with the rapier, but so far, the stiletto had managed to cause a few painful gashes in hit and run attacks. As he scored a particularly troubling strike to her left thigh, she stumbled into the sarcophagus. He just smiled at her as she inspected the wound. It had not gone deep enough to hit the muscle, fortunately, but it still hurt like hell, and she was sure it would limit her movements.

"Some of the best have fallen beneath my sting." He told her. "Do not feel any shame at doing the same."

She shifted her weigh onto her right leg, taking up her sword once more, and prepared a guard as she prepared for another round. She didn't even know if it was possible to defeat a ghost, but so far she didn't seem to have a better plan. He shook his head.

"Why is that sword so important to you?" He asked her.

"It isn't important to me." She replied. "If it was up to me, right now I'd be at home with a mug of cocoa and a warm blanket, but this sword could be very important!"

"So if it isn't important to you, then who?" He asked. "Who are you willing to risk your life for?"

"My sister." She replied honestly. "My parents, my friends...possibly the world. This sword could give us the edge we need in a war that's been raging for centuries."

"Then if it is that important to you, I guess asking you to simply leave it isn't going to work." He sighed. "It is a shame one as beautiful as you must find your end to my sting."

Serena suddenly got an idea and shifted her grip on the sword. She gave him a little smirk.

"If you're so sure of yourself, how about you lead off this time?" She asked him. The Hornet lunged forward, finding his sword smashed aside, but this time instead of moving aside or back, Serena lunged straight for him. The Hornet gasped as he felt her strike him in the chest, and her hidden blade plunged into him. Serena looked up into his eyes.

"You're not the only one with a sting." She told him. He just smiled at her, and then stepped back. She looked on in horror as she realised that despite plunging into his chest, right where his heart would have been, there was no wound, and no blood. There was nothing. Of course! He was a ghost! She couldn't kill him, he was already dead. He put away his weapons.

"No one has managed to beat me with a blade." He said, sounding impressed as he put away his weapons. He reached out a hand. "I think you have earned that."

"Thank you." Serena replied, looking to the sword. She let out a sigh of disappointment. "It's the wrong sword. It's a Masamune."

"That is similar to the name the woman I took it from used, but it is not the same." The Hornet told her. "I believe the name she used was Kasamune."

"That's the one I'm looking for." She told him. She inspected the scabbard, looking disappointed. "I really thought I had found it."

"She was an odd woman." The Hornet reminisced. "She came to Italy, and told a most intriguing tale, saying that she was the latest in a long line of female warriors that stood up to corrupt and evil men. She believed me to be one of them."

"Were you?" Serena asked him. The Hornet just sniggered.

"I suppose that would depend on who you asked." He replied. "There were many families who had more than enough reason to hate me during my life."

"So...she believed she was this warrior, and that she was carrying Kasamune." Serena stated. "She made a mistake."

"One that cost her dearly I fear." He answered. "It is the only time I have ever killed a woman. I fear I had no choice. Though until you, I must admit that she was the best I have ever faced."

Serena inspected the scabbard, finding a little catch on the collar. Opening it, a little piece of parchment came out.

"Not another bloody clue." She groaned. Taking the parchment, she closed the compartment, before putting the sword back into the scabbard. She looked to the ghost, and then replaced it on the weapons rack on the wall. The Hornet removed his mask and looked at her curiously.

"You are not taking it?" He asked her. "You earned it."

"This is all I need to take from here." Serena told him, showing him the parchment. "It has been in your possession here for a couple of hundred years. I figure there's no point in taking what's yours. I'll close the crypt on my way out."

"I appreciate that." He told her. She just looked at him curiously.

"So...the fact you're here...did a Nighlock trap you here or something?" She asked him. He just shrugged.

"There are many mysteries in the world." He told her. "I suppose one of the families I wronged may have placed this curse on me. When most die they find the peace of the afterlife. In my case, I see only the inside of this tomb."

"So what do you do now?" She asked him. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose I wait for the next grave robber." He answered her honestly. Serena just nodded sadly. Despite their battle, despite the fact he had openly admitted to her that his life had not necessarily been a good one; she couldn't imagine anyone deserved this.

"I have to go." She told him. "I swear, if I find some way to help, I'll come back."

"Thank you for saying that." He told her. "Ciao."

As he disappeared, Serena climbed out of the crypt, back to the roof. She closed the hatch, figuring that no one really needed to know that the entrance was there. It was a lot harder getting out than it was getting in, but pretty soon, she was dropping on the other side of the fence and limping back towards the hotel.

"Hayley, can you arrange some first aid or something?" Serena asked her. "I doubt I'll be able to explain these wounds to the hotel staff or a hospital."

"Vincenzo should be able to arrange something." Hayley assured her. "Just go to your room and wait there for him."

"Thanks." She replied, looking back to the graveyard. "But please, no more crypts."

Back in Japan, Antonio was locked in battle with Octoroo, hacking at him wildly in a rage. He hadn't any choice but to allow Dekker, the man that wanted to kill Jayden take him in order to heal him. Octoroo had been the one to create the poison that threatened his life, and Antonio had every intention of making him pay.

Octoroo rolled away as he was smashed to the ground. Antonio replaced the Barracuda Blade in its scabbard as he glared at him, his eyes burning through him. He started to stride towards him intently.

"You can't even face us in a straight fight, can you coward?" He spat angrily. "You need to scheme and plot with poisons!"

"Why should I sully my hands with the likes of you?" Octoroo asked him. "Still, if you don't believe I have any power, then try this on for size?"

He fired blasts at Antonio, but the Gold Ranger was far too fast. Between his mastery of the Light Symbol Power, and his focus on the man that had poisoned Jayden, he swatted the blasts out of the air with his Barracuda Blade, even smashing one back into Octoroo's face.

He lunged forward, slashing him multiple times, at which Octoroo screamed in agony, before deciding that this battle was a lost cause.

"Another time Gold Ranger!" He stated as he disappeared into a Gap. Antonio put away his Barracuda Blade and turned towards the garden, finding the battle site worryingly quiet. He sprinted off towards the rock garden, finding no one there. Continuing into the forest, he found the Rangers all lying unconscious on the ground.

"Emily!" He screamed, running to their side, checking on them. "Mia? Kevin? Mike?"

He collapsed to his knees, feeling the weight of his failure wash over him. He had come to Japan at Dekker's invitation to try and save the Rangers from Octoroo's plot. Now though, he could see how badly he had failed. Jayden had been poisoned, and was now missing with The Cursed Warrior, a man who only wanted to heal him so he could kill him at his best. The other four were all clearly out of the fight, and they were still no closer to decoding The Black Box. He was the only one left.

"We must get them inside." Daisuke announced as he and Kenzo arrived with some guardians. "We can treat them in there."

"I've failed." Antonio whispered. "I was too late..."

"Take heart Gold Ranger." Daisuke told him. "Help us bring them inside. We can discuss what we will do from there."

Antonio didn't know what they could do, but he just nodded and got up, picking up Kevin as the Guardians saw to the others. He could do nothing for Jayden right now, but as far as they could tell the others were still alive. Right now, helping them was the most important thing.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Arachtheor struggled against his bonds. He had been close to victory, so close he could taste it. The Red Ranger had been poisoned, and the others were all down and out, ready to be put out of their misery at his leisure, but then something happened. Someone had released Master Xandred from his room. Now, he was helpless before the Lord of the Nighlocks, as Octoroo and Dayu were watching on. Octoroo had ensured that he was gagged so that he couldn't implicate him in the plan.

"I torture you, I banish you and still you try to usurp my throne?" Xandred roared angrily. Dayu sneered.

"If you ask me, I think noodle face here had something to do with all this." Dayu stated. "It all sounds far too creative for web-for-brains to have come up with."

"I merely utilised him to further our cause." Octoroo stated. Arachtheor struggled against his bonds, lunging for Octoroo without success. He could see that he was being sold out by the spineless squid to save his own skin. "His plan did produce some favourable results."

"He was just trying to poison the Red Ranger." Xandred told her. "Leave him be. In the meantime, we still have a traitor to deal with."

Xandred pointed his sword at Arachtheor, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"Destroying you would be too easy." He commented. "You are a powerful Nighlock, and could have been useful. Still, if you want some of my power, I'll give you all you can handle!"

With that, he blasted the spider Nighlock, causing him to disappear outside. Lightning arced into him, infusing him with power, more power than should have been possible for him to take. As the bonds burned out, and the gag disappeared, all that could be heard for miles around were Arachtheor's screams of agony.


	6. Recovery Time

Serena was sitting in her hotel room, taking care not to bleed onto the upholstery as she waited for Vincenzo to come and attend to her. In the meantime, she was scanning the parchment into laptop.

"So what do we have here?" Serena asked Hayley as she continued to wait.

"As you thought, it's another clue." Hayley told her. "It's a passage written by Masamune himself."

"He wrote this?" Serena asked, a little surprised. "What does it say?"

"I'm not sure yet, it's encoded in some way." Hayley told her. "It'll take me a while to figure it out."

Just then, Serena heard a knock on the door.

"Porter." She heard Vincenzo's voice call through. She got up and made her way to the door, opening it ajar to ensure he was alone, before letting him in. He was carrying a large case with him. As he came in, he saw her and let out a whistle.

"Wow, Hayley wasn't kidding." He commented. He sat her down on the bed, and started to look at her injuries. "What the hell happened to you?"

"I doubt you'd believe me if I told you." Serena replied. "She said you can help, but..."

As he opened the case, her mouth hung open in surprise. It was far more extensive than a first aid kit; indeed it looked just short of an emergency room in a case.

"Trust me; I know what I'm doing." He told her as he took out a needle and some disinfectant. "Would you like some anaesthetic before I start?"

"No thanks." Serena replied. "Something tells me I won't be here long enough to recover."

"Alright, just let me know if you change your mind." He told her, threading the needle.

Back at the temple, Antonio was looking in on the others with Daisuke as attendants saw to them.

"They look pretty bad." Antonio sighed. "There's no way they'll be ready if that Nighlock comes back."

They were all currently in beds, resting from their beating. The attendants had done all they could for their injuries, and right now they were just ensuring they were comfortable. Antonio still couldn't help feeling like if he had gotten there a little sooner, if he hadn't argued with Dekker so strongly when he heard they were in danger that perhaps the battle would not have gone so badly.

"My attendants are skilled healers." Daisuke assured him. "They are in the best of hands."

The Elder Guardian looked sympathetically at the Gold Ranger as he started to walk away.

"Jayden's gone." He muttered.

"You did what was best for him." Daisuke said as comfortingly as he could. "I do not have the means to heal him here. It was doubtful he would have survived."

"I know that." Antonio sighed. "It just doesn't exactly make me feel much better about the fact that right now he's in the hands of a psycho that wants to kill him."

"I understand that you care about him." Daisuke continued. "It is only natural that you worry. However, there are more important matters at hand."

He handed the Black Box to Antonio.

"But Jayden..."

"There is nothing you can do for him right now." Daisuke interrupted him. "However, if we do not get the Black Box running, then in time the power of the Nighlocks will overwhelm us."

Reluctantly, Antonio took the box into another room to get started. As much as he hated to think of it, right now Daisuke was right. He couldn't do anything for his friends, or for Jayden. The Rangers would recover in time, and he was sure it would not be long before Jayden resurfaced, but for now, the only thing he could do was try to programme the Black Box, something he was sure would be the ultimate test of his skills.

Meanwhile, Dekker was carrying Jayden down a stream far from the temple.

"Saving you has become an unfortunate habit." He commented. "One I soon hope to break permanently."

With that, he dumped Jayden rather unceremoniously into the water. Jayden spluttered as he pulled himself to the surface and glared at Dekker indignantly.

"Stay under." Dekker told him. "This stream was blessed by holy men long ago. The purifying waters will purge the poison from your system in time."

"Then what?" Jayden asked him.

"Then once you've recovered your strength, we will finally duel." Dekker told him. "And Urumasa will be satisfied once more."

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Master Xandred and Octoroo were looking out the window, watching as evil energies infused themselves within Arachtheor.

"His mutation will be complete shortly." Master Xandred declared proudly. "Then he will be completely under my control."

Octoroo watched on, thankful that by the time the mutation was over, he would be unable to talk. The last thing Octoroo needed was to be fingered for his part in the scheme to overthrow Master Xandred. Right now, the Lord of the Nighlocks believed that he was only following Arachtheor since it was a convenient way to cripple the Rangers. He wasn't happy that in the course of the battle that they had failed to acquire the Black Box, obviously the Rangers had hidden it before they could do a proper search. Still, with the Rangers down, and Jayden poisoned and destined to die unless Dekker did something to help him, it seemed like the plan had advanced their schemes considerably.

"There is, however, still one thing that may yet stand in our way." Master Xandred growled. "That meddling troublemaker Dekker!"

"He took the Red Ranger." Octoroo stammered out fearfully. "The Gold Ranger prevented me from following them."

"He has become an unacceptable rogue element in my plans." Master Xandred told him. "It is time we did something about him. Dayu!"

She stopped playing her harmonium with a start as he called out her name and looked to him in horror. She heard every word he had said, and she hoped that he was not about to ask what she believed he would. Unfortunately, she knew that was a vain hope.

"Go and find him." He told her. "Destroy him."

"Sire..."

Before Octoroo could protest, Dayu had gotten up and stormed from the room wordlessly. She had no desire to comply with his orders.

"Your cruelty knows no bounds." Octoroo commented as she left.

"Just don't forget it." Master Xandred replied menacingly as he strode away, leaving Octoroo alone.

Back at the temple, the Rangers were awake, and beginning to fully appreciate how hard the beating had been on them. They were all incredibly sore.

"I see you are awake at last." Daisuke commented. "I am pleased to see that."

"What happened?" Mike asked. "That Nighlock had us dead to rights."

"I heard Master Xandred." Kevin told them. He had been the last to pass out, and so he was the only one that had seen the end of the battle. "He said something about betraying him and snared the spider guy. He dragged him into the Gap."

"I guess he wasn't acting on orders." Mia grumbled as she stretched out her neck, checking it for movement. "I guess we lucked out."

"You were indeed fortunate. Things could have been very different." Daisuke told them.

"Where are Antonio and Jayden?" Emily asked him.

"Antonio is in my private chamber attempting to reprogram the Black Box." Daisuke told them. "He said he will need your power disks in time, but for now, he is just...how did he put it...hacking in."

"What about Jayden?" Kevin asked. They all remembered that the Red Ranger had been poisoned, and they didn't really know what to think about the fact he wasn't with them. Daisuke sighed.

"He is not here." He told them. "The Cursed Warrior has taken him to heal him."

"Dekker?" They all screamed as they heard this.

"But...he..."

"He said he wants Jayden at his best for his duel." Daisuke told them. "I do not have the means to heal him here. He would certainly have died had he stayed. At least this way, he will be healed."

"Yeah, just in time for Dekker to take his head!" Mike roared. "We have to..."

"You have to rest." Daisuke interrupted him. "You are no use to him in your current state. Have faith in your friend..."

"I can't just sit around." Mike told him.

"Then perhaps we can arrange for some light training for you." Daisuke suggested. "My son and some of the others are in the dojo. They are quite skilled. You will be in good hands."

"I think I might go too." Emily stated, getting off the bed. "Right now I need something to keep my mind off things."

"Anyone else?" Daisuke asked. Kevin got up and went with them as the three of them left. Mia was the only one who remained. Daisuke looked to her a little curiously and approached her. "Are you alright?"

"I just wanted to rest." She told him. "I'm not feeling much like training."

"Is something else troubling you perhaps?" He asked her. Mia just sighed as she thought about it and looked to the Elder Guardian.

"Have you ever heard the name Kasamune?" Mia asked him. He just sat down near her and looked to her.

"Masamune or Kasamune?" He asked for clarification.

"I know who Masamune was." She told him. "I was reading recently and I heard the name Kasamune, but I don't recall anything about it."

"You know, sometimes legends get confused and mixed up." He told her. "Kasamune was a very different person from Masamune, just as Muramasa was different from Urumasa. It is just their similarity of name that causes confusion."

"Urumasa?" She asked him. "As in...Dekker's sword?"

"There was another sword smith who went by the name of Muramasa." He informed her. "He operated in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. He was known for having a violent temperament, and for the extraordinary sharpness of his blades. However, because of the legend of the Cursed Warrior, and the fact his name was similar to Urumasa, there was something of a stigma around his blades."

"What kind of stigma?" Mia asked him.

"Remember that people were a lot more superstitious back then." He said in a chuckle. "It was believed that his blades carried some of his mental imbalance and drove their wielders to violence, to murder or suicide. They were described as bloodthirsty blades, and it was believed that once drawn, they needed to draw blood, even driving the wielder to self-harm or suicide if no victim was forthcoming. They were even said to be daemonic."

Daisuke shifted a little on the bed.

"Indeed, Emperor Takagawa banned the blades from his court, since he had cut himself badly with one in his youth and lost many friends and family to Muramasa blades. It only furthered their notoriety." He told her. "It was all because people were fearful of the links to The Cursed Warrior."

"But it wasn't his fault that his name was similar." Mia stated. Daisuke just nodded his head.

"He was simply unfortunate." Daisuke told her.

"So what does this have to do with Kasamune?" She asked him.

"You know how I said that legends are sometimes confused?" He asked her. "Well, there is a legend, which states that Muramasa and Masamune once had a competition to see who was the superior sword smith."

"Wait, you said that Muramasa operated in the fifteenth century." Mia stated.

"Yes, the legend is impossible, as Muramasa operated long after Masamune had died." He told her. "So the legend goes, both men created a sword, and they tested them by placing them in a river full of lotus blossoms."

"So what happened?" Mia asked him.

"They say that the blossoms swirled around the Masamune, while Muramasa's sword cut everything that hit it. Leaves, blossoms, and even fish. Masamune withdrew his sword and dried it off, taunting Masamune about his blade's inability to cut. Masamune simply dried his sword and replaced it in his scabbard."

"So...Muramasa won?" Mia asked him. Daisuke smiled at her.

"A passing monk bowed respectfully and offered his judgement of the contest." He told her. "He said that while Muramasa's sword was a fine blade, it was an evil and bloodthirsty blade that would cut indiscriminately, while Masamune's would only cut that which its master willed it to and declared it the superior blade."

"So what does this have to do with Kasamune?" Mia asked him. Daisuke shifted a little closer.

"The legend goes that The Cursed Warrior was cutting a bloody path through feudal Japan." Daisuke began. "Many faced him and fell to his sword. The Emperor even offered a reward to anyone who could defeat him. So desperate was he to end the rampage that he even resorted to encouraging his sword smiths to use mysticism in forging blades hoping to combat Urumasa. Eventually Kasamune was created."

"So Kasamune is a sword." She responded.

"It was named after its creator." He told her.

"Kasamune was given to a great warrior, who went in search of Dekker. When the time came for them to face, the bearer of Kasamune, who became known as 'the blessed warrior', challenged him instead to a contest to see whose blade was superior. The Cursed Warrior accepted."

"So...they did the stream thing." Mia asked him.

"No, the test was different." He told her. "Dekker sliced through a boulder with ease, showing Urumasa to be sharp and powerful, but the Blessed Warrior chose a different test. The Blessed Warrior had her son hold a silk scarf along his arm. When she swung the blade, it cut the scarf in half, but would not cut her son. Kasamune would only cut what its mistress willed it to, and so would not draw the innocent blood of her son. The Cursed Warrior accepted that he had been defeated in the contest, and left Japan as they had agreed."

"Wait...her?" Mia asked. "The Blessed Warrior was a woman?"

"So was Kasamune." He informed her. "That is why the legend did not pass into history. People were still very patriarchal. Kasamune was not permitted to be a sword smith because she was a woman, but she learned her trade by watching her father. When she completed her task, she handed the sword to her handmaiden."

"But that sucks!" Mia shrieked. "She saved Japan and no one wanted to give her the credit because she was a woman?"

"I am afraid we were not so enlightened back then." He told her.

"So what happened to the sword?" She asked him.

"No one knows." Daisuke told her. "After the contest, the handmaiden was asked to turn the blade over to the Emperor. He would not allow such a powerful weapon to remain in his realm if it was not under his command. She refused, saying that Kasamune has only one mistress and that he was not worthy to wield it. With that, she left the city and was never seen again."

With that, he patted her on the shoulder.

"It is nice to see the young are not above learning the ancient legends." He stated. "I hope this has been helpful."

As he left, Mia just lay back on the bed and thought about what he had said. It was just a legend. Was Mentor Ji really looking for the blade of The Blessed Warrior?

**A/N: **Masamune and Muramasa were real historical figures in Feudal Japan, and the legend of the stream is indeed a genuine part of Japanese folklore. As for the rest of it, that was just an adaptation of my own design.


	7. Cracking the Black Box

In the training yard of the temple, Emily, Mike and Kevin arrived, finding many of the guardians in the training yard, most of them still sporting dressings from the injuries they suffered at the hands of the Moogers. As they arrived, they saw Kenzo standing in the middle of the sparring mats.

He had shed his robe, showing a build that would have put many UFC fighters to shame, and he was standing, waiting on his opponents. Four other guardians stepped up onto the mat and surrounded him. The Rangers all sat on a bench as they watched the guardians prepare guards around Kenzo, who just stood stock-still and stared seemingly into space.

As the first came forward, Kenzo blocked the punch, and his hands blurred into the man's chest and head, striking him eight, ten, perhaps as many as twelve times, they really couldn't tell. He just fell to the ground.

Two more came forward and attacked him at once. Kenzo fended off their attacks and spun free, keeping both of them in sight. As he backed up, they could see his footwork, and his innate sense of where the edge of the mat was. His spatial awareness was amazing, it was like he had 360 vision. As the men came at him again, he managed to take one down, finishing him off in quick fashion before turning his attention to the other. Blocking a kick, he took the man down and hooked him into a submission hold, forcing the man to tap out.

"Knee bar." Mike commented with a grin. "He's good."

The last man just bowed to him, before pulling out twin swords. The Rangers watched as Kenzo stood, unfazed by this. The man started to swing them in a practiced fashion, circling Kenzo.

"Uh...they don't look like wooden blades do they?" Mike asked. Emily and Kevin shook their heads as they watched, open-mouthed.

The man yelled, rushing toward Kenzo, not holding back on any of his swings. The blades whistled through the air, each one a full-blooded strike. Kenzo seized one of the man's wrists following a strike, throwing him over his shoulder. As they twisted free, the Rangers saw that Kenzo now had one of the swords.

The other guardian launched into the attack with a savage yell, their blades ringing in the air as Kenzo fended off the attacks. Eventually, he hooked the blade, took the man down and flicked his sword away all in one swift motion so fast it could barely be seen. He drove the sword into the mat millimetres from the man's face, demonstrating what could easily have been a death blow, before smiling and helping the man up.

"Well that was impressive." Kevin complimented him. "A little scary, but impressive."

"When other kids had bikes, my toys were bokken." He replied in a chuckle, taking a towel and mopping himself down. "How are you?"

"We were told you could take us through some light training." Kevin told him.

"Emphasis on the light." Emily added as she looked to the sword still imbedded in the ground. Kenzo just chuckled.

"Sorry, I do get a little carried away in my workouts." He told them. "Mike, I've heard you like unarmed combat. Would you like to see something cool?"

"Sure." Mike said with a shrug. Kenzo gestured them all to follow him.

"Come this way." He told them.

In a cave, far from the temple, Dekker watched as Jayden stirred and started to come to. The Red Ranger looked around, finding himself in unfamiliar surroundings.

"Do not try to get up." Dekker told him. "You are healed, but you will be weak for some time."

Jayden just pulled himself up to be sitting.

"Do not worry. I will not harm you yet." Dekker assured him. " I need you at your best for our duel."

"Why do you want to fight me so badly?" Jayden asked him.

"Urumasa's thirst demands it of me." Dekker answered. "I am immortal, and I am driven to seek out the ultimate duel."

"You don't have to give in." Jayden told him.

"I have no choice." Dekker told him. "I was wholly human once, but when I took up Urumasa and took up its curse, the Nighlock in me has craved combat."

"You can resist cravings." Jayden assured him. "You don't have to give in. You can be the master of your own destiny..."

Dekker just smirked and shook his head.

"There was a time I would have agreed." He answered. "Rest up Red Ranger, our duel will begin soon."

"So this is a duel to the death?" Jayden asked. Dekker nodded.

"Is there any other kind?" He questioned the Red Ranger.

"But what if I beat you?" Jayden asked him. Dekker just shrugged.

"Then the curse is over." He replied. "It will be for me at least."

Back at the temple, Antonio was working away, beaming symbol power into the Black Box with his morpher. It was a long, tedious, and draining experience. He knew that using symbol power was draining for the others, but since his was augmented artificially by technology, even he wasn't sure how much of it was really his and how much of it was his morpher's. He held on as long as he could, his hands shaking and his knees buckling under him as his vision blurred until he could finally take no more. He started to fall, but felt a pair of arms under his armpits catching him.

"You must not push yourself too much Antonio." Daisuke warned him.

"I need to get this finished." Antonio replied. "I need to do this for..."

"This is important, but you are important too." Daisuke warned him. "Do not forget, you are currently the only active Ranger."

"They're relying on me." Antonio told him, straightening up. "I can't fail."

"You will not fail, of that I am certain." Daisuke assured him. "You have the will equal to any Samurai I have ever seen, and greater than a great many."

"I need to do this." Antonio stated. "He's counting on me!"

"He." Daisuke said with a smile. Antonio looked to him. "The heart is a powerful tool if focussed correctly."

"Daisuke..."

"There is no shame in what you feel." Daisuke told him. Antonio just shook his head and buried his face in his hands.

"How long have you known?" He asked him.

"I suspected it from the moment you allowed Dekker to take him." Daisuke answered. "Does he know?"

"He knows I'm gay." Antonio whispered, before shaking his head. "You can't tell anyone..."

"It is not my place to do so." Daisuke assured him. "Still, it is obvious how much you care for him."

"I know there's all sorts of codes and responsibilities and suchlike that they have to adhere to, and something tells me not many of them are compatible with modern attitudes." Antonio sighed.

"The heart wants what the heart wants." Daisuke replied sagely, handing Antonio his morpher. "The heart is a powerful thing. Just remember what you are doing this for, and concentrate on the task at hand."

Antonio just nodded and focussed his symbol power through his morpher, returning to the task of hacking into the Black Box. Daisuke just left quietly, allowing Antonio to continue with his work.

Over in the dojo, Kenzo brought the three Rangers to a section that had been set up for a demonstration. In the middle was a mannequin, with cotton wraps binding its chest.

"Its ribcage is made of poplar, a kind of wood which had approximately the same density and strength as human bone." He explained, running a hand over its chest. "The cotton wrapping has been bound to replicate the resistance of human flesh and muscle tissue."

"Cool." Mike commented. "So what are you here to show us?"

"Well, I figured we could share a few party tricks." Kenzo said with a smile. "Here's mine."

An attendant ran out as he snapped his fingers, carrying a zip lock bag, containing a red mass. He held it up for them to see.

"Is that...?"

"That's right Emily, this is a pig's heart." He told them. "The closest thing anatomically to a human is a pig. This should give a pretty accurate representation of this technique."

He reached inside the mannequin, hanging up the bag, before looking to the others. He took a breath, prepared himself for a second, then slammed a hand into the chest so fast, they could barely see it.

"Well that's cool and all but..." Kevin's words were cut off as all of a sudden blood started to run out onto the floor. Mike and Emily both watched on in shock too as he opened it up, pulling out the bag, and what was left of the bag.

"Exploding heart technique." He explained. "Through channelling the chi energy and careful placement, the force of the blow is transferred through the ribs almost directly to the heart..."

"I was never shown anything like that." Emily gasped, looking at him. "Kenzo...that..."

"It's a death technique." He confirmed.

"Dude, I can't speak for Kevin, but I was never taught anything like that." Mike told him. "Sure, I probably could kill someone, but I was never taught anything specifically for that purpose."

"Hey, it's just..."

"You know what? If a guy takes a swing and I break his arm, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it." Mike interrupted him. "But seriously, that stuff makes me feel a little uncomfortable."

"I don't normally agree with Mike, but knowing what this does? I'm not sure I want to know how to do it." Kevin assured him. "Still, it is impressive, and I appreciate your skill. Thank you for showing us this."

"I guess it's not for everyone." Kenzo said with a shrug. "Tell you what. How about I take you through some sword kata instead?"

"That would be good." Kevin replied. As they left though, Emily couldn't help looking back to the mannequin and the pool of blood at its feet. While she knew such techniques did exist, she had never seen one personally, and it disturbed her to have seen it.

Over in Rome, Serena woke up the following morning, rubbing her eyes as the computer bleeped.

"Serena, I've finished with the translation." Hayley told her.

"Can I get a shower first?" Serena asked her.

"I'm afraid not." Hayley replied. "It's more text, but it's a letter written by Masamune. Apparently he met Kasamune, she was the daughter of a noble that was a regular customer."

"Bully for him." Serena grumbled as she put on the coffee maker and started to get dressed, taking care not to aggravate any of the wounds Vincenzo had stitched up the previous night. "What does it say?"

"It says she crafted the finest blade he had ever seen." Hayley told her. "It has several distinct features that make it similar, though very different to Urumasa."

"Like what?" Serena questioned her.

"Urumasa is all about bloodshed, Kasamune is all about defence." Hayley began. "Both swords only have one wielder."

"Emily said Urumasa burned her when she held it." Serena commented. "So I look for a sword..."

"Kasamune is not about bloodshed, it will not harm an unworthy user." Hayley assured her. "However, he noted that in the hands of anyone other than the true wielder, it refused to allow itself to be drawn."

"Well that's nice, but anything that might be used to identify it?" Serena asked.

"Uh...I'm afraid that's all I have." Hayley said nervously. "I'm afraid the parchment you discovered only had a few lines on it."

"So we're still no closer to finding it?" Serena muttered. "So why exactly am I awake at this time?"

"We have word on another Masamune." Hayley told her. "It was bought at private auction by Lord Edward Kensington."

"So where am I off to now?" Serena asked her, looking to her bag. "Where next?"

"London." Hayley told her. "Vincenzo will have your tickets and the details of your room at the concierge desk. Your flight's in three hours."

"You know, I'm almost beginning to miss being terminally ill." Serena replied sarcastically as she started packing her bag. "Tell Vincenzo to call the cab, I'll be down for my tickets soon."

Back at the temple, Antonio was still struggling to concentrate on the task at hand, focussing all his ymbol power on the Black Box. He held onto the morpher as it vibrated and heated up, threatening to burn him, but he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip, refusing to give up. Too much was at stake. Eventually, he felt it let up and stopped, smiling as he felt it.

"I'm in!" He called out. "I'm in!"

Just then, a Gap Sensor sounded and all the others rushed in, assembling in the main room.

"Damn it, I just got in!" He told them. "Come on guys, we..."

"We need that box." Kevin told him. "You stay here and work on that."

"But if that spider guy is back..."

"Then we'll definitely need it." Mike interrupted him. "Seriously dude, this is the most important thing right now."

"But you guys are in no state to fight him!" Antonio protested. "You need to rest."

"You let us decide what we're ready to do." Mia chastised the Gold Ranger. "We'll keep him busy. You do this."

"I can't." He put down flatly. "I need your power disks. You'll need them in battle."

Emily just took hers out and presented it to him.

"I trust you Antonio. You'll do this." She stated. "We'll make do. You take this."

"Have mine too." Mike replied, handing him the green power disk. "You're the man."

"We have faith in you." Mia told him, handing hers to him. "You won't let us down."

Kevin just handed him his own. Antonio just nodded.

"I won't let you down." He assured them. "Go stomp on that spider. I'll deal with this."


	8. The Second Tengen Battle

At the temple, Antonio continued with the arduous task of programming the Black Box with the Rangers' power disks. He had to take it slowly, programming them in one at a time, but other than that, he was pretty sure he had figured out what he needed to do.

He was not a Samurai. He hadn't been born into one of the bloodlines, but he had earned his own symbol power. While he had augmented it with technology, and he had at one time owed most of it to his morpher, the fact was he was now sure he had tapped into something within himself that was real. The way he weakened, the way he felt ill when he used so much of his power was because it was draining him and not a morpher. He ignored the headache, and he pushed through the nausea, all because he knew that what he was doing was necessary. The Rangers needed the Black Box...Jayden needed the Black Box.

The four power disks surrounded the Black Box at the points of the compass, with the Red one noticeable by its absence. He wished he knew where Jayden was, and he would give anything to be able to help him, but he knew that right now, there was nothing else he could do.

As the spirit of the Blue Dragon floated from Kevin's power disk to the Black Box, he smiled as he fell to his knees.

"That's the first one." He commented. "Now let's try a little Yellow."

He focussed on Emily's disk, but as he did so, hit morpher felt like it was made of lead. He shook uncontrollably and started to sweat badly as he tried to maintain the effort. Eventually the beam broke off as he just couldn't continue. He slammed his morpher into the floor, at which it bounced away.

"Mierda!" He roared as his tears began. Daisuke came from the corner where he was watching the Gold Ranger work and put a hand on his shoulders to comfort him. "The others are out there fighting, Jayden's in that psycho's grasp, and the one thing I can do to help..."

"You judge yourself too harshly." Daisuke told him in a soothing voice.

"That's easy for you to say." He grumbled. "You don't have the whole world resting on..."

His words tailed off as a thought occurred to him. How could he have been so blind? Why hadn't he seen it before? The samuraizers, while they had more to them than that, were essentially cell phones. They used the global satellite network to communicate with each other. He started to tap a few keys.

"I can't finish this right now." He told Daisuke. "But I can hack into the global satellite network and triangulate Jayden's signal..."

"You must complete this task!" Daisuke warned him.

"Sorry amigo, this is more important." Antonio replied as he got a fix on the location. "Without Jayden, all this is pointless anyway."

Daisuke stood in the doorway as Antonio got to his feet to leave.

"Get out of the way." Antonio warned him.

"You must concentrate..."

"Don't think I'm above putting you on your ass dude." Antonio said as a less-than subtle threat. "I'm going to get Jayden back."

As he pushed past Daisuke, the old man just smiled.

Serena had finished packing, and came down to the reception desk to check out. She knew that Vincenzo had all her travel details ready, all she needed to do was pick up her documents and she was all set. She got to the desk and went through the process of ensuring there were no charges on her bill that shouldn't be and took her case to the concierge desk. As she got there, Vincenzo greeted her with a smile.

"You look well rested." He commented as he pulled out a package. "Here, Hayley had this made up."

Serena opened the package, finding a new credit card, driving licence and passport inside, together with some plane tickets and a reservation for a B+B.

"When you get there, your new identity is April Marx." He informed her. "You'll want to leave the stuff with your current alias."

Serena took out the appropriate documents and dumped them in the box as she took the others.

"This looks like a beautiful city." She sighed. "I really wish I could have stayed longer."

"Maybe another time." Vincenzo said with a smirk as he picked up the phone to call her cab. Serena had no idea what awaited her in England, all she knew was that given the way things had gone so far, she could expect it to be difficult.

Back in the cave, Jayden was still recovering his strength, well aware that soon Dekker's patience would run out, and their duel would begin. He still didn't really understand Dekker. He knew that Urumasa had a spirit of its own, and that it hungered for blood, but beyond that, he couldn't tell exactly why Dekker would have forsaken his humanity willingly.

Dayu meanwhile had arrived in the cave unseen, and hid a little way off, observing the events from her vantage point. She didn't want to fulfil the mission she had been charged with, but she didn't have a choice. She prayed that something would happen that would give her a reason to leave.

"Your time is up Red Ranger." Dekker told him, getting to his feet and taking up Urumasa. "On your feet."

"I don't want to fight you." Jayden told him. "You don't have to do this Dekker, you can resist, you can..."

"That's easy for you to say." Dekker said in a raspy voice as he drew the blade, turning into his Nighlock form. "Defend yourself!"

Jayden realised that the tim for reason had long since passed, and called forth his spinsword, preparing a guard. Just then, a gold blur entered the cave, smashing into Dekker and sending him flying into the wall, before he tumbled to the ground. He got up, glaring at Antonio as he arrived.

"If you want him, you have to go through me!" Antonio snapped. Dekker just approached slowly.

"Walk away fisherman." He responded. "You can leave now..."

"You want the ultimate duel?" Antonio asked him. "Look at him. There's no way Jayden's at his best!"

Dekker couldn't respond. Looking to the Red Ranger, his stance and his grip on the sword betrayed the fact that his strength was not at its best. He was doing what he could to conceal it, but the fact was that he wasn't a hundred percent.

"You want the ultimate duel, come back when Jayden's a hundred percent and I guarantee he'll kick your ass eight ways from Sunday!" Antonio continued. "Until then, you want him, you get both of us."

"You are right." Dekker breathed. "We will duel Red Ranger, just not today."

"Come on Jayden." Antonio commented, keeping his eyes on Dekker as he ushered him towards the mouth of the cave. "The nice creepy guy's letting us go."

As they left, Dekker powered down, taking his human form once more. He just looked to the rocks in the back.

"You may come out now." He announced. "The coast is clear."

Dayu came out, looking to him nervously.

"You knew I was there?" She asked him.

"Your perfume is quite distinctive." He told her. "It is familiar."

"You remember me?" She asked him.

"I remember you from the banks of the river." He clarified. "I know you expect me to remember more, but I am sorry. I have no recollection of you."

"I was sent here to kill you." She told him.

"Will you?" He asked her. Dayu just shook her head.

"You would cut me down before I could land a single blow." She assured him. "Wouldn't you?"

He could sense a longing, almost begging tone to the question. She honestly did hope that he remembered something about her, but there was nothing. He just turned and walked away.

"If you want to live, do not follow." He told her. "Tell Master Xandred that I drove you away."

She just slumped down on a rock and buried her face in her hands. Until now, she didn't know it was possible, but apparently, even Nighlocks could cry.

Over at the site of the battle, the Rangers were holding their own, using what power they could to battle the moogers and the returning Arachtheor. They could see that he had changed, and they all could feel that he was now more powerful than ever. Just as they were facing off against him, Jayden ran into view.

"Jayden!" They all chorused.

"Antonio and I brought a little present." He told them, handing them their power disks. "He said he couldn't finish the Black Box, but he figured you'd need these."

"We need something that doesn't take much symbol power." Kevin added. "But I'm not sure if it'll be enough."

"Send a quintuple slash this way!" Antonio told them as he tackled Arachtheor.

"But we'll hit you!" Emily shrieked.

"I have a fantastico move." He replied. "Trust me!"

"Jayden..."

"You heard him." Jayden stated, spinning his fire disk. "If he thinks he can handle it, I believe him."

"Quintuple slash!" They all chorused, sending their blasts his way. Antonio saw it coming, and launched himself into the air, spinning sharply, whipping the power around himself and augmenting it with his own. He cast it at Arachtheor, sending him flying with a powerful blast.

"Antonio, that was amazing!" Mia yelled. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Uh...Japan about...thirty seconds ago?" He admitted. "It was mostly theoretical."

"Well if you have any more theories, let us know." Jayden replied, before pointing to some Gaps as giant Moogers came into view. "No time for celebrating now guys, we still have a job to do."

In London, Serena arrived in the airport, collecting her belongings and heading out to the arrivals lounge. She saw a guy there with a sign bearing her assumed name, but given what had happened in Italy, she was a lot more cautious. She approached him slowly, preparing to use her hidden blade.

"What's Hayley's surname?" She asked him.

"Ziktor." He replied.

"What is her connection to all of this?" Serena asked him.

"She met Dr. Tommy Oliver while they were both studying in New York." He informed her. "They were both in the central library..."

"Fine, you are who you say you are." Serena sighed, pointing to the door. "So how long will it take to get there?"

"The B+B's about an hour's drive." He informed her.

"Just wake me when we're there." She muttered. "All this secret agent stuff is exhausting."

Over in Japan, the Rangers assembled back in the temple after the battle. They had managed to get by, but they could all concede that they had a certain amount of luck working for them. For one thing, Arachtheor had disappeared after Antonio's attack, and hadn't come back as a Mega Monster. They didn't even want to think about how things could have turned out if that had happened. Daisuke had his attendants bring them their bags, knowing what was coming.

"I really wish we could stay longer." Jayden said regretfully. "However, I fear that Master Xandred will be btargeting our home again soon."

"We really need to get back." Kevin said, hugging Mia. They all looked to where Emily was nervously chewing her nails.

"Why couldn't Dekker take us back through the gap?" She muttered. "I hate planes."

"Yeah, we kind of got that." Mike replied, stroking his hand. Even thinking about the last time made it hurt. "At least this time we have stuff for you to take so you should sleep."

"It'll be fine Em." Antonio assured her. Daisuke handed him the Black Box.

"Here, good luck Gold Ranger." He told him. "May you succeed where many others have failed."

"Before we go though, there's just one thing." Antonio stated, putting down his bag. "Something occurred to me during the battle."

"What is that?" Daisuke asked him.

"None of the Gap sensors in the temple until Arachtheor arrived." He stated.

"So?" Mike asked him.

"So who poisoned the drinks?" Antonio asked. It was only then that the Rangers realised what he was getting at.

"Jayden drank the tea before the first Gap Sensor sounded." Kevin recalled.

"I checked the diagnostics, and none of them have been de-activated." Antonio told them. "They all worked at the time he was poisoned."

"So what does that mean?" Mia asked.

"If a Nighlock came in and poisoned the tea, it would have set off the Gap sensors." Antonio explained. "That means that whoever poisoned the tea..."

"Was already here." Mike concluded. "It was someone in the temple."

"What are you saying?" Daisuke asked.

"I'm saying someone sold you out!" Antonio snapped. "Someone betrayed the temple and us. Someone made a deal with the Nighlocks!"

"But who...?"

"I'm sorry Daisuke, but there was only one person who was unaccounted for." Jayden stated. "Wasn't there Kenzo?"

Kenzo looked a little stunned by the accusation.

"You went missing after bringing us here from the airport for ten minutes, more than long enough to go into the woods and meet with Octoroo." Jayden continued. "None of the other attendants touched the tea. Only you did."

"Kenzo?" Daisuke asked. He just laughed.

"You are all blind to the possibilities that the Nighlocks offer." He stated. "I am more powerful now than I could ever have been!"

"Kenzo, I raised you!" Daisuke yelled, his eyes full of shock as he pleaded with him for this to not be true. "You were raised in the ways of the guardians!"

"Do you really think I have any interest in living in this god damned temple my whole life?" He snapped. "I surpassed your training long ago father. Your time has passed. It is time for humans to step aside for the dominant species!"

With that, he transformed into a black, scaled creature with a forked tongue and long, sharp fangs. He disappeared into a Gap with a flash as the Elder Guardian fell to his knees, tears running down his face.

"My son!" He sobbed. "How could I have been so blind?"

"I am sorry Daisuke." Antonio assured him, putting a hand on the old man's shoulder. "I took no joy in this."

"You did what you must." Daisuke said with a morose tone in his voice. "Kenzo has made his choices. We can only do what we must."

With that, the Rangers picked up their luggage and left, all of them feeling the change in the temple. Daisuke had lost a son, a pain none of them could understand, and all of them sincerely wished they never would.

Meanwhile, in the Netherworld, Kenzo was in a cave, waiting as Octoroo arrived.

"You took your time." He muttered.

"You failed!" Octoroo chastised him. "My plan..."

"Your poison failed, not me!" Kenzo snapped. "Don't pin this on me noodle-face. You can't blame me for the fact your poison took too long to work."

"Enough of that." Octoroo said waving off his answer. "Right now we have more important things to worry about."

"Like what?" Kenzo asked him.

"Like the fact that troublesome Yellow Ranger's sister is still searching for Kasamune." He responded.

"You cannot send simply anyone because Master Xandred would notice if you used one of his Nighlocks." Kenzo said with a smirk as he changed back into his human form. "Of course, he does not yet know of our deal. He doesn't know I'm a Nighlock."

"How do you feel about going to England?" Octoroo asked him. Kenzo just smiled.

"I can't wait." He replied.

Fin.


End file.
